photo: twitter.com/bengals
Joe Burrow and the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals will debut a new helmet during the 2022-2023 NFL season.
A week after announcing a new helmet for the upcoming season, the Cincinnati Bengals finally dropped a first look.
On July 22, the Bengals' debuted a glimpse of the team's highly anticipated white helmet that will be used in games for the first time during the 2022-2023 season. The helmets are virtually identical to the Bengals' current helmets of orange with black "tiger" stripes but instead use white for the background.
The team had announced the white helmets earlier this month without posting a photo of the new protective gear. The Bengals still have not indicated which games will feature the new color.
On Twitter, the team promised a look at the white helmets if a photo of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at practice earned 10,000 likes. As of press time, the photo has more than 32,000 likes. The Bengals followed that up with a 10-second gif of the striped white helmet resting atop a rotating black platform, saying, "A deal's a deal." The NFL responded, "They're here and they're perfect."
The Bengals also have posted videos highlighting the new helmet on the team's website. One video features someone applying individual black stripes to a white helmet in a precise pattern according to a diagram.They're here and they're perfect. 🥹 https://t.co/XzDznlZEcd
— NFL (@NFL) July 22, 2022
The white helmet comes shortly after the Bengals debuted new uniforms in 2021-2022 for the first time in 17 years. The team did not change the iconic orange helmet at that time, however.
In January 2021, the NFL announced that it would finally lift a long-held rule that prohibited secondary helmets. NFL.com writer Kevin Patra wrote at the time that the rule was in place for safety. The alternate helmets must be identical to primary helmets except for color and must be worn during practices before the game in which they'll be used.
The 2022 season will be the first in which the secondary helmet ban is gone. Franchises had until July 31 of last year to inform the NFL of their intent to use the additional helmet option for this season.
The Cincinnati Bengals went to Super Bowl LVI in February, falling 20-23 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Bengals' first shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy since 1989. The team earned a 10-7 regular-season record for 2021-2022, won the AFC North, and pulled out magical win after magical win in the post-season — including the AFC Championship. Shortly after the Super Bowl, the Bengals extended head coach Zac Taylor's contract through 2026, and bookies gave the Bengals higher odds for the 2022-2023 season.
The Bengals' 2022-2023 season kicks off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 11 at Paul Brown Stadium and will end on Jan. 7 or 8 in a battle with the Baltimore Ravens in Cincinnati.
Stay connected with CityBeat. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, Apple News and Reddit.
Send CityBeat a news or story tip or submit a calendar event.
